Beginning 1 July through 15 August, IEEE-USA eBooks will offer as a free download to members A Living Resume, Vol. 1: Documenting Your Accomplishments, by author Harry T. Roman.
The Living Resume series is an evolving story that documents your growth as a professional. The tone within is conversational; shaped by 36 years of business experience; designed to make you think carefully about what you have done in your career; and explore how you will set it all down in a logical and powerful manner.
Someday, you may need a compendium of your career to help you keep your job–or perhaps secure a new one–and Vol.1-Documenting your Accomplishments gives you guidance about how to put one together.
Roman shares that the information in this e-book is the culmination of mentorship from IEEE colleagues, friends, leaders from companies where he has worked, and the foresight to document his accomplishments over the years.
He notes that at one time he thought that he was secure in his job–after 26 years, 250 technical papers and nine patents. But one day, in a staff meeting, he learned that his company was downsizing–and his group was being let go. While he admits to having been shocked at this news, he writes that he was prepared to move forward.
Roman explores his plan of action with readers. He writes he was blessed to have people in his life at that time that cared about his professional development, who introduced him to IEEE. Roman began to revise his resume, and prepared himself for intensive interviews. He also documented fact-filled examples to illustrate his value to the company.
The living resume is a combination of documents you maintain throughout a career, or series of careers, that records and exemplifies how you have grown and changed over the years. Roman lists the things that are absolutely necessary to pull together a living resume.
According to Roman, “No professional should be without a yardstick to measure personal and professional growth.”
Some of the topics in volume 1: Documenting Your Accomplishments include:
- Ready for Action ” Roman discusses the habit he had of rewriting his resume twice a year, and what he highlighted that made it stand apart from others.
- Good Planning Pays Off ” It was those years of preparation, discipline and file keeping that got Roman over some show-stopping career hurdles.
- A Dynamic Record of Professional Growth ” starts with the updated resume, notes on failed projects, letters of congratulations, continuous education courses–and lists much more.
- Start Early is geared towards the high school student who is serious about college and a professional career.
- Your Resume Will Speak to You is about saving previous copies of your resume to measure your growth; and it gives insight as to where your career may be heading.
- Document Projects You Worked on highlights the importance of being organized in how you document your personal work and project experiences.
- Learning from Failure explains that the living resume should not only show your mistakes, but will also describe the conditions under which you failed; and it will capture the reasons for the failure, as well as what you learned from the experience.
Roman writes that “Throughout your life, you will be selling yourself”¦ Be prepared to take on this important and necessary task.”
Other eBooks in the series include: Volume 2: Documenting your Writings, Awards and Honors and Volume 3: Documenting your Professional Service, Community Service and Consultancies.
From 1 July to 15 August, you can get your free eBook to download by going to https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6978643. Log in with your IEEE Web account, add the book to your cart, and use promo code JULYFREE16 at checkout.
AUGUST FREE E-BOOK
In August, IEEE-USA eBooks will offer Shaping an Engineering Career ” Book 3 – Volume 1: Advancing to Management, by author Siri Varadan.
In his review of career management, author Siri Varadan presents useful and imaginative insight into how young engineers can begin to address career aspirations. Using his own career as a metaphor, he explores how career advancement is a function of opportunity, meeting preparation and readiness.
CALL FOR AUTHORS
IEEE-USA eBooks seeks authors to write an eBook, or an eBook series, on career guidance and development topics. If you have an idea you think will benefit members in a particular area of expertise, please email your proposal to IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Georgia C. Stelluto at g.stelluto@ieee.org.
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Sharon Richardson is IEEE-USA’s Coordinator, Publishing & Communications.
